Push-broom-type vacuum cleaner



Se t. 20, 1966 1. JEPSON ETAL PUSH-BROOMTYPE VACI JUM CLEANER 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1964 Sept. 20, 1966 1. JEPSON ETAL 3,27

PUSH-BROOM-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 10, 1964 4 h s-Shee 2 lVENTORE" BY MZM Se t. 20, 1966 1. JEPSON ETAL 3,273,195

PUSH-BROOM-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER Filed June 10, 1964 4 heets-Sheet 5INVENTORS.

United States Patent C) 3,273,195 PUSH-BROOM-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER IvarJepson, Sister Bay, Wis, and Julius P. Wied, Oak Park, Ill., assignorsto Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois FiledJune 10, 1964, Ser. No. 374,029 6 Claims. (Cl. 15344) This inventionrelates to a push-broom-type vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to apush-broom-type vacuum cleaner which is light weight, low cost, compact,uncomplicated, and easy to manufacture and assemble.

It is an object of this invention to provide a pushbroom-type vacuumcleaner which is light weight, low cost, compact, uncomplicated and easyto manufacture and assemble.

One prior art form of upright vacuum cleaner comprises a heavy metalliccasting mounted on wheels. The casting provides a housing for a powerfulmotor and blower. The front of the casting is provided with a suc tionnozzle having a rotary rug cleaning brush driven by the motor. A handleis connected to the rear of the casting and a dust collecting bagconnected to the rear of the casting is suspended off the handle. Thistype of vacuum cleaner is intended for heavy duty rug cleaningoperations. Therefore, the brush, motor and fan are designed large andpowerful, requiring a heavy metal casting and also the bag capacity islarge. This means that the vacuum cleaner is large, cumbersome, heavy,and high cost. In other words, it is not suitable primarily as a vacuumcleaner for light duty rug and floor cleaning operations. However, thereis a need for a light weight, compact and low cost vacuum cleaner. Forexample, such a vacuum cleaner would be useful to apartment dwellers andalso to home owners as a second vacuum cleaner for performing light dutyrug and fioor cleaning operations.

Briefly, in the preferred form of the invention a compact, low cost andlight weight vacuum cleaner is provided. In its commercial form thecleaner weighs only five pounds and requires considerably less storagespace than heavy duty upright vacuum cleaners. It can be readily liftedand carried about with one hand. Additionally, its design isuncomplicated and easy to manufacture and assemble so as to be low cost.Structurally the cleaner comprises a main housing and support memberconstructed from molded plastic material which is light weight. Thesuction nozzle portion, motor, fan scroll, and dust collecting chambersare integrally formed on the main molded plastic member. The same istrue of the exhaust passageway interconnecting the fan scroll and dustcollecting chambers. The fan scroll chamber and exhaust passageway areformed on the bottom of the main member whereas the motor and dustcollecting chambers are formed on the top of the main member. The motorchamber is positioned above the fan scroll chamber and is closed at itsopen bottom by a motor mounting plate. A motor mounted on the plate isinserted into the motor chamber through its open bottom. Single piececover members are provided for closing the fan scroll chamber andexhaust passageway on the bottom of the main member and thedustcollecting chamber on the top of the main member. Also, the cover memberfor the dust collecting chamber is readily removable for affording quickaccess to the dust collecting chamber.

The invention will be better understood by considering the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and itsscope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of theinvention;

Patented Sept. 20, 1966 FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation view of thecleaner with the stick type handle being broken away;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 33 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the section line 4--4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 55 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the section line 66 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the section line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the section line 88 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 9-9 ofFIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along the section line 10-10 of FIG.3.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of thepreferred form of the invention, the pushbroom-type vacuum cleanercomprises an elongated main housing and support member 10. Member 10 isconstructed from light weight molded plastic material such asacrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Member 10 provides the support for allthe parts of the vacuum cleaner.

At its lower end member 10 is provided with an integral suction nozzleportion 11. Positioned behind the suction nozzle portion 11 andintegrally formed on the bottom of member 10 is a depending fan scrollchamber 12 and exhaust passageway 13. Passageway 13 extends from the fanchamber 12 to the upper end of member 10. Fan chamber 12 and passageway13 are bounded by a continuous depending integral wall 14 on the bottomof member 10.

Positioned above the fan chamber 12 and integrally formed on the top ofmember 10 is a motor chamber 15 which is open at its bottom. A motormounting plate 16 closes the open bottom of chamber 15. A motor,indicated generally by reference numeral 17, is mounted on the plate 16.Motor 17 is assembled on plate 16 in a motor casing 18, and the encasedmotor is positioned in chamber 15 by inserting it through its bottomopening which is then closed by plate 16.

An elongated single piece molded plastic bottom cover member 19 isprovided for the bottom of member 10 to close the fan chamber 12 andexhaust passageway 13. On its inside cover 19 is provided with anintegral sealing gasket channel 26. Channel 20 is continuous and seats acontinuous gasket 21 which engages the depending Wall 14 of fan chamber12 and exhaust passageway 13.

Aligned apertures 22 and 23 are provided in the motor mounting plate 16and the lower end of cover 19 that closes the fan chamber 12. Theaperture 22 seats a motor shaft bearing 24 and aperture 23 is an inletopening to the fan chamber 12. A shaft 25 of the motor depends from themotor through the apertures 22 and 23 to outside or below the cover 19.A fan 26 is mounted on shaft 25 inside fan chamber 12.

Positioned in the lower or front end of the nozzle portion 11 is arotary brush 27. Brush 27 is driven off shaft 25 by drive connectingmeans extending between shaft 25 and brush 27. The drive connectingmeans comprises a pulley drive belt 28 positioned outside the member 19.Drive belt 28 is covered by another bottom cover member 29. Actually,the nozzle portion 11 has an inverted U-shaped cross section and cover29 also serves to close the open bottom of nozzle portion 11.

The brush 27 extends across the open lowermost end of the nozzle portion11. Brush 27 is carried by bearing blocks 34}, see FIG. 10, mounted inintegral side portions of the nozzle portion 11. The bearing blocks 30are retained in place by integral portions of the cover 29. A

rug engaging slotted plate 27 is positioned ahead of the brush 27. Thisplate is carried by bottom cover 29 and nozzle portion 11. Bottom cover29 also supports a pair of small wheels or rollers 29'.

On its top the member has an integrally formed elongated dust collectingchamber 31. Chamber 31 is defined 'by integral upstanding sides 32 ofmember 10. .The exhaust passageway 13 and dust collecting chamber 31 arein communication with each other by virtue of an opening 33 formed inthe upper end of member 10. Disposed inside the chamber 31 is anelongated paper throwaway type dust filter and collecting bag 34. Theupper end of bag 34 is connected to the opening 33.

For purposes of cooling the motor the filtered air leaving bag 34 isdirected through the motor housing 15. The motor housing 15 is providedwith an opening 35 at the lower end of dust collecting chamber 31. Thisopening 35 is covered by a dust filter element 36. Air entering chamber15 passes into the motor casing 18 by way of openings 37 formed in thebottom of casing 18. After passing over the motor the air is exhaustedto the atmosphere by way of events 38 formed in the upper end of motorchamber 15.

The dust collecting chamber is closed by a top cover member 39. Covermember 39 is elongated, and is constructed from light weight moldedplastic material as are the main part and other covers 19 and 29. At itslower end cover 39 has a tab 40 that slips under the upper edge ofopening 35. Its upper end is removably locked in place by manuallyoperable retaining means. The manually operable retaining meanscomprises a pair of resilient molded plastic fingers 41. Fingers 41 arefastened to main member 10 at their lower ends and at their free endsextends through apertures 42 formed in cover 39. The free ends offingers 41 have hooklike enlargements 43 which overhang the edges ofapertures 42. In order to remove cover 39 it is merely necessary todisengage the enlargements from the portions of cover 39 bounding theapertures 42. This is accomplished by finger pressure on enlargements 43since fingers 41 are readily yielda-ble due to their resiliency.

A stick type handle 44 is connected to the upper end of the vacuumcleaner. Actually, this handle 44 is packaged with the cleaner indisassembled position. In assembled position the handle 44 is positionedbetween main member 10 and top cover member 39 in a channel 45. Handle44 is fastened in place to member 10 by a screw 46 which enters a boss47 on the member 10.

The main member 10 also supports an on-off switch 48 at the upper end ofthe cleaner. Switch 48 is supported off integral portions 49 on thebottom of member 10. A thumb button 50 of switch 48 extends through anaperture 51 in the upper end of bottom cover 19. An electric extensioncord 52 enters the upper end of the cleaner and is connected to switch48. Extending from switch 48 to the motor 17 are electrical leads 53.These leads 53 are disposed in a channel or conduit 54 defined byintegral portions of main member 10, and channel 54 is closed by bottomcover member 19.

In assembling the cleaner, the encased motor 17 mounted on plate 16 isinserted into the motor chamber 15. Plate 16 closes the bot-tom end ofmotor chamber and is fastened in position by screws 55 entering integralbosses 56. A bafile 57 is mounted on the upper end of the casing 18.Baffle 57 serves as a retainer for commutator brush holders 58 of themotor. Additionally, it isolates the vents 38 from direct communicationwith the opening 35. Therefore, air coming into motor chamber 15 firsthas to pass through the motor before being vented to the atmospherethrough vents 38.

After the motor is connected in position the fan 26 is assembled onshaft 25 or itcan be premounted on the motor assembly. The switch 48 ismounted on the bottom of main member 10 and the cord 52 is connected tothe switch 48 and the leads 53 to the switch and motor. The leads 53 arenested in the channel 54 on the bottom of main member 10. After this thebottom cover member 19 is superposed over the member 10. Cover 19extends from the switch 48 to inside the nozzle portion 11. The seal 21on cover 19 seals the wall 14 of fan scroll chamber 12 and exhaustpassageway 13 closed. Cover 19 is retained in closed position by meanssuch as screws 59 extending through member 10 into integral bosses 60 onthe inside of cover 19. Thereafter the brush 27 and pulley belt 28 areassembled, and then the other bottom cover member 29 is superposed overthe underside of nozzle portion 11 to close it and retain the brush 27in position. Cover 29 is held in position by screws 61 entering integralbosses 62 and 62 formed on member 10 and cover 19 repectively. Anopening 63 is formed in the cover 29 adjacent to the lower end of shaft25. Opening 63 is closed by a removable cap 64. Opening 63 is for thepurpose of cleaning out lint or threads which may become entangled withpulley belt 28. At the top and near the bottom of cover 19 just abovecover 29 hooks 67 and 68 respectively are provided. These hooks are forthe purpose of storing the cord 52 on the cleaner in coiled position.

In order to connect the handle 44 the cover 39 must be removed toprovide access to channel 45. The handle is packaged separated from thecleaner to conserve on the size of the packaging carton. The cover 39 isassembled with the cleaner merely by slipping the tab 40 into opening 35and snapping the fingers 41 into their openings 43. To remove the cover39 fingers 43 are squeezed towards each other and then cover 39 islifted. Handle 44 has aligned apertures 65 and' 66. Aperture 65 is forthe screw 46 and aperture 66 is for receiving the boss 47. After thehandle is connected in position, the chamber 31 is closed by cover 39 byslipping tab 40 under the upper edge of opening 35 and snapping theenlargements 43 into the openings 42.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of theinvention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changesand modifications may be made without departing from the invention, andthat it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes andmodifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Pattent ofthe United States is:

1. A push-broom-type vacuum cleaner, comprising an elongated upwardlyprojecting main housing and support member constructed from moldedplastic material, an integral suction nozzle portion formed at the lowerend of said main member, an integral fan scroll chamber formed on thebottom of said main member behind said nozzle portion, an integral motorchamber formed on the top of said main member above said scroll chamber,the bottom of said motor chamber being open, a motor mounting plateclosing the bottom of said motor chamber, a motor mounted on the top ofsaid plate, said motor being insertable into said motor chamber throughits bottom opening, an elongated one piece bottom cover member for saidscroll chamber and the bottom of said main member, an integral elongatedexhaust passageway formed between said main and cover members, saidpassageway extending from said scroll chamber to the upper end of saidmembers, an aperture formed in said plate, said motor having a dependingmotor shaft, said shaft extending through said aperture into said scrollchamber, a fan on said shaft in said scroll chamber, an elongated dustchamber formed on top of and integrally with said main member behindsaid motor chamber, an elongated top cover member for said dustcollecting chamber, an opening formed in the upper end of said mainmember between said passageway and dust collecting chamber, and

a stick type handle rigidly connected to the upper end of said mainmember.

2. In a push-broom-type vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, an on-ofI switchmounted on the upper end of said main member, an electrical extensioncord connected to said switch, and electric leads extending from saidswitch to said motor, said leads being disposed in another integralpassageway formed between said main member and one of the cover members.

3. In a vacuum cleaner as in claim 1, said top cover member having amanually operable removable connection with said main member foraffording quick access to said dust collecting chamber, said manuallyoperable removable connection comprising a pair of resilient moldedplastic fingers formed on said main member, apertures in said top covermember aligned with said fingers, the free ends of said fingers havingenlargements formed thereon for overhanging portions of said top covermember bounding said apertures, and said fingers being yieldable inresponse to finger pressure on said enlargements.

4. A push-broom-type vacuum cleaner, comprising an elongated upwardlyprojecting main housing and support member constructed from moldedplastic material, an integral suction nozzle portion formed at the lowerend of said main member, an integral fan scroll chamber and exhaustpassageway formed on the bottom of said main member behind said nozzleportion, said passageway extending lengthwise of said member to itsupper end, an integral motor chamber formed on the top of said mainmember above said scroll chamber, the bottom of said motor chamber beingopen, a motor mounting plate closing the bottom of said motor chamber, amotor mounted on the top of said plate, said motor being insertable intosaid motor chamber through its bottom opening, an elongated one piecebottom cover member for closing said scroll chamber and exhaustpassageway, aligned openings formed in said plate and the lower end ofsaid cover member, said motor having a depending motor shaft, said shaftextending through said aligned openings, a fan on said shaft in saidscroll chamber, a rotary brush in said nozzle portion, a driveconnection outside said cover member between said shaft and brush,another bottom cover member for said drive connection, an elongated dustcollecting chamber formed on top of and integrally with said main memberbehind said motor chamber, an opening formed in the upper end of saidmain member between said passageway and dust collecting chamber, a onepiece top cover member for closing said dust collecting chamber, and astick type handle rigidly connected to the upper end of said mainmember.

5. A push-broom-type vacuum cleaner, comprising an elongated upwardlyprojecting main housing and support member constructed from moldedplastic material, an integral inverted U-shaped suction nozzle portionformed at the lower end of said main member, an integral fan scrollchamber formed on the bottom of said main member in the rear of saidnozzle portion, an integral exhaust passageway formed on the bottom ofsaid main member, said passageway extending lengthwise of said memberfrom its scroll chamber to its upper end, an integral motor chamberformed on the top of said main member above said scroll chamber, thebottom of said motor chamber being open, a motor mounting plate closingthe bottom of said motor chamber, a motor mounted on the top of saidplate, said motor being insertable into said motor chamber through itsbottom opening, an elongated one piece bottom cover member for closingsaid scroll chamber and exhaust passageway, aligned openings formed insaid plate and the lower end of said cover member, said motor having adepending motor shaft, said shaft extending through said alignedopenings, a fan on said shaft in said scroll chamber, a rotary brushmounted in the front of said nozzle portion, a drive connection outsidesaid cover member between said shaft and brush, another bottom covermember for said drive connection and closing the bottom of said nozzleportion, an e1ongated dust collecting chamber formed on top of andintegrally with said main member behind said motor chamber, an openingformed in the upper end of said member between said passageway and dustcollecting chamber, and a stick type handle rigidly connected to theupper end of said main member.

6. A push-broom-type vacuum cleaner, comprising an elongated upwardlyprojecting main housing and support member constructed from moldedplastic material, an integral suction nozzle portion formed at the lowerend of said main member, an integral fan scroll chamber and exhaustpassageway formed on the bottom of said main member behind said nozzleportion, said passageway extending lengthwise of said member to itsupper end, an integral motor chamber formed on the top of said mainmember above said scroll chamber, the bottom of said motor chamber beingopen, a motor mounting plate closing the bottom of said motor chamber, amotor mounted on the top of said plate, said motor being insertable intosaid motor chamber through its bottom opening, an elongated one piecebottom cover member for closing said scroll chamber and exhaustpassageway, aligned openings formed in said plate and the lower end ofsaid cover member, said motor having a depending motor shaft, said shaftextending through said aligned openings, a fan on said shaft in saidscroll chamber, a rotary brush mounted in said nozzle portion, a driveconnection outside said cover member between said shaft and brush,another bottom cover member for said drive connection, an elongated dustcollecting chamber formed on top of and rigidly with said main memberbehind said motor chamber, an opening formed in the upper end of saidmain member between said passageway and dust collecting chamber, anelongated dust collecting bag in said dust collecting chamber, the upperend of said bag being connected to said opening, a one piece top covermember for closing said dust collecting chamber, vents formed in theupper end of said motor chamber, an aperture formed in said motorchamber and opening into the lower end of said dust collecting chamber,a dust filter closing said aperture, and a stick type handle rigidlyconnected to the upper end of said main member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,184,446 12/1939Snyder 15413 2,218,035 10/1940 Benson 15347 X 2,355,322 8/1944 Nuffer eta1. 15-344 2,806,242 9/1957 Sparklin 15412 X ROBERT W. MICHELL, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A PUSH-BROOM-TYPE VACUUM CLEANER, COMPRISING AN ELONGATED UPWARDLYPROJECTING MAIN HOUSING AND SUPPORT MEMBER CONSTRUCTED FROM MOLDEDPLASTIC MATERIAL, AN INTEGRAL SUCTION NOZZLE PORTION FORMED AT THELOWEREND OF SAID MAIN MEMBER, AN INTEGRAL FAN SCROLL CHAMBER FORMED ON THEBOTTOM OF SAID MAIN MEMBER BEHIND SAID NOZZLE PORTION, AN INTEGRAL MOTORCHAMBER FORMED ON THE TOP OF SAID MAIN MEMBER ABOVE SAID SCROL CHAMBER,THE BOTTOM OF SAID MOTOR CHAMBER BEING OPEN, A MOTOR MOUNTING PLATECLOSING THE BOTTOM OF SAID MOTOR CHAMBER, A MOTOR MOUNTED ON THE TOP OFSAID PLATE, SAID MOTOR BEING INSERTABLE INTO SAID MOTOR CHAMBER THROUGHITS BOTTOM OPENING, AN ELONGATED ONE PIECE BOTTOM COVER MEMBER FOR SAIDSCROLL CHAMBER AND THE BOTTOM OF SAID MAIN MEMBER, AND INTERGRALELONGATED EXHAUST PASSAGEWAY FORMED BETWEEN SAID MAIN AND COVER MEMBERS,SAID PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING FROM SAID SCROLL CHAMBER TO THE UPPER END OFSAID MEMBERS, AN APERTURE FORMED IN SAID PLATE, SAID MOTOR HAVING ADEPENDING MOTOR SHAFT, SAID SHAFT EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE INTOSAID SCROLL CHAMBER, A FAN ON SAID SHAFT IN SAID SCROLL CHAMBER, ANELONGATED